The first photos taken on the Moon are auctioned in Denmark

Faten Amal Harby
With Nelly Karim, Fadia Adel Ghany, Mohamed al-Tagy
Watch on MBC Shahid
When examining the television landscape of Ramadan – although it is difficult to obtain information on each series before it airs at the start of the holy month – a pertinent question might be: who is the star? After all, this is a star business and, as a general rule, the series that feature the region’s most popular and respected actors are the ones worth watching. Last year, Newton’s Cradle, starring Mona Zaki, was by far the most popular Arabic-language series of the year. Scheduled on Netflix at the end of the year, it enjoyed renewed success. This year, it is another equally popular Egyptian star, Nelly Karim, who could win. Faten Amal Harby traces the journey of a divorced mother who comes into conflict with her former stepmother over custody of her two daughters as she attempts to remarry. This story seems to take an honest look at the difficulties women face in modern Egypt.

Bab Al Hara

With Najah Safkouni, Jalal Shammout, Salma al-Masri
Watch on Starzplay
One of the most popular series in the history of Arab television returns for its 12th season. Bab Al Hara is a decades-spanning saga that follows a family in Damascus, Syria during the interwar period as the country struggled to free itself from French colonial rule. The series was a phenomenon in the mid-2000s; its second season was reportedly watched by 50 million viewers, and it retained its popularity for more than fifteen years after its debut in 2006. The final season follows the same family in the Al-Dabe neighborhood. Although the cast has diversified over the seasons – which is rare with Ramadan series – the series, despite its ups and downs, remains a must-see for many families in the region.

Al-Asouf

With Nasser al-Qasabi, Abdallah al-Sinani, Habib al-Habib, Reem Abdallah
Watch on MBC Shahid
The popular Saudi drama returns for its third season. Each season so far has brought a different decade to life. The first series addressed the changes that occurred in the Kingdom in the 1970s; the second focused on the 1980s. This time it is the turn of the 1990s, a decade in which political and cultural events changed the lives of people in Riyadh and elsewhere. While the series shone a spotlight on the intergenerational struggles that helped shape today’s Saudi Arabia, it also sparked much debate on Saudi social media, which led to an expanded dissection of history. recent in the Kingdom. As the series moves closer to the present, the third season promises to be the most talked about. In any case, it is told with a style and a talent that have made the series a phenomenon in the Kingdom.

El Meshwar

With Mohamed Ramadan, Dina el-Sherbiny, Ahmed Magdy
Watch on MBC Shahid
Mohamed Ramadan is arguably the most controversial superstar in the entire Arab world. Yet this Egyptian actor and rapper is undeniably one of the most popular personalities on Arab television. Each year, on the occasion of Ramadan, the young man of 33 years tends to reinvent himself and to venture into new lands. In Zelzal, in 2019, he played a man who lost everything in an earthquake. In 2020’s The Prince, he played the reluctant new leader of a sprawling family after his parents died. Mousa, in 2021, explored Egypt in the 1940s, with a heavy plot and a sometimes comic look. In El Meshwar, Ramadan has found his most interesting on-screen partner to date: he teams up with Egyptian actress Dina el-Sherbiny (Horoob Etirari: Forced Escape, Detention Letter). He portrays a husband who faces a wife stricken with a curse in what is presented as a series of horror and suspense signed by the famous screenwriter Mariam Naoum. The latter is also in the process of writing the story of the series The Alexandria Killings, which will be released soon.

Sanawat Al-Jarish

With Hayat al-Fahad, Hamad al-Omani, Laila al-Samman
Watch on Dubai TV

In 2020, the Kuwaiti series Umm Haroun was the Ramadan series that generated the most debate. This year, all eyes are on Kuwait’s fictional first lady, Hayat al-Fahad, who at 73 is once again exploring the lesser-known moments in Gulf history. Sanawat Al-Jarish (“The Years of Al-Jarish”) chronicles the years of drought that the Gulf region faced during World War II. Al-Fahad herself said that this story was inspired by reality and that it was intended to inform the younger generations of the Gulf about the life of their ancestors, the difficulties they encountered and the tragedy that can represent wars. The poster for the show evokes the writings of the famous Palestinian writer Mahmoud Darwish, with his poem The War Will End: “The war will end / The rulers will shake hands / And this woman will continue to wait for her martyred son.”

Suits Arabia

With Asser Yassin, Ahmed Dawoud, Tara Emad, Saba Mubarak
Watch on OSN
A version of Suits tailor-made for the Arab world? An adaptation of the popular American series that ran for nine seasons from 2011 to 2019, Suits Arabia brings together some of the region’s biggest names in front of and behind the camera, including Asser Yassin and Ahmed Dawoud as the duo of series lead and, as Rachel, Tara Emad (pictured). The latter once introduced Megan Markle to the world and to Prince Harry himself. The series, co-written by star producer Mo Hefzy (Perfect Strangers, Paranormal, Sheikh Jackson), centers on two men in a ruthless law firm; one is loaded with false qualifications and endowed with a photographic memory and the other, close to the elite, is determined to keep his friend’s secret. The first two seasons of the series, whose future is planned for the long term, will be broadcast over thirty episodes during Ramadan. The format of the original storyline will be slightly modified in order to offer new surprises while retaining what viewers around the world have loved.

Lahme w Bas

With Mohammad Orfali
Watch on Discovery+
Need a break from TV series? Syrian chef Mohammed Orfali is here for you. After all, how can we talk about the month of Ramadan without highlighting the wonderful and incomparable flavors that iftar and sahur bring? On the show Lahme w Bas, the award-winning chef and co-founder of Orfali Bros Bistro – named in 2021 the sixth best restaurant in the Mena region by the 50 Best ranking – takes viewers on a journey for which he prepares a mixture of dishes both traditional and international meat products.
This cooking show will offer several courses on appetizers, salads, sides and main courses. All are designed to inspire the next day’s iftar and sahur. This is your chance to discover one of the region’s most notable rising stars, who will help you emulate a style all his own.

This text is the translation of an article published on Arabnews.com